State Police: Ex-IGP Blast Proponents, Says Agitators Insincere

Former Inspector General of Police, Suleiman Abba, has joined the race for Jigawa state central senatorial district, under the platform of the All Progressives Congress (APC), saying those campaigning for the country have state police currently are not sincere.

The former top cop further stressed that the country was ripe for state police, the former IGP said the country was not ripe for the state police.

Addressing newsmen Monday after he picked his nomination and expression of interest forms at the National Secretariat of the APC in Abuja, Abba said he was in the race to bring quality representation for his constituents and contribute meaningfully to national development.

“I have a feeling and I don’t hide it that some people are looking for an opportunity to compound the security challenges of this country. I have nothing against state police like I said, having recommended it far back even when it was not a serious issue in this country. It looks like some people are looking for what they can use to compound the security situation in this country. Maybe we can continue to fine tune it, but I am not sure this is the right time.

“While I was at NIPSS in 2009, I was assigned to conduct research on discipline in the Nigerian police, during the period, and looking at the performance of the police based on the research, I realize that there was the need to take another look at the structure of the police. In that research which is there for anybody to refer to, I recommended local government police. So, you can see that I have nothing against state police. I have had the opportunity of serving in all geopolitical zones of the country and have a fair knowledge of the country.

“From what we see state government passing through with the payment of salaries and pensions as well as taking care of qualitative education for our children. Considering the fact that policing is a very expensive business; you need to cost of a helmet for the police, talkless of the protective jacket. These are very expensive gadgets. Gadget for monitoring are very expensive and if the states cannot pay salaries and take care of other socio-economic aspect of the people, why are they looking forwarding to shouldering this responsibility.”

While responding to the recent siege at the National Assembly and the residences of NASS principal officers, the former police boss said: “Let me say that in all the cases you mention, investigations are being conducted and some form of punishment has been meted out on those involve.”

On the refusal of the current IGP to appear before the Senate when invited, Abba said: “I will advice the IGP to respond to summon by the National Assembly. I don’t think that in any situation, there is a better person to defend you than your self. Of course we have lawyers who represent the interest of their clients. But my personal believe is that your persona, defense is always better. As IGP, I always appear before the senate when they needed me even at a time when everybody thought differently, I appeared before a committee of the senate to make a clear presentation.”